Library Home: Cyber Security: Time Protocols

Time Protocols

*Introduction to Precision Time Protocol (PTP) (networklessons.com/cisco/)
There is a lot of great free content. Caution: If you do a free trial after a week you are automatically signed up for $39/month.
Cisco Network Time Protocol (NTP) (networklessons.com/cisco)

Good news: You can get accurate and useful definitions, diagrams, and explanations on websites like Cisco, for free.

Configuring Precision Time Protocol
For for Cisco NCS 5500 Series Routers, IOS XR Release 7.9.x
IBM Z Server Time Protocol Guide December 2023
"Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on
page vii."

Internet Engineering Task Force

Internet Engineering Task Force (wikipedia.org)
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is a standards organization for the Internet and is responsible for the technical standards that make up the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP).[3] It has no formal membership roster or requirements and all its participants are volunteers. Their work is usually funded by employers or other sponsors.
NTP Over PTP (draft) (ietf.org)
"This document specifies a transport for the Network Time Protocol (NTP) client-server and symmetric modes using the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to enable hardware timestamping on network interface controllers which can timestamp only PTP messages and enable corrections in PTP transparent clocks."

Network Time Protocol (NTP): Threats and countermeasures | Infosec

Network Time Protocol (NTP): Threats and countermeasures | Infosec
Remembering alum David Mills, who brought the internet into perfect time (eecs.engin.umich.edu)
Mills created the Network Time Protocol, which enables any device online to know precisely what time it is.
SLIDES: Time Synchronization (graphics.stanford.edu)
SLIDES: Time in Distributed Systems (ics.uci.edu)
*E-Book: Network Time Protocol (cisco.com)

Broad search on Google

EXAMPLE SEARCH: Network-Time-Protocol or NTP vs Precision-Time-Protocol or PTP with limit to last year

When doing a broad search you get a list of the most popular websites...this is a popularity contest, not an indicator of trustworthiness.
If you want a crowdsourced "opinion on the street" description, Wikipedia is a great source. Some topics are even adopted by a classroom or Professor. Best for jargon, keywords, and links to references.

Narrower Search: using site:.gov searches

EXAMPLE: Search Network-Time-Protocol or NTP vs Precision-Time-Protocol or PTP site:.gov limited to last year on Google search

Wikipedia - crowd sourced

Wikipedia is good for getting the gist of a topic; the key words and jargon. Many pages are now adopted by classes, instructors, and experts who have a specialty and want to share. Sometimes a highly controversial topic will have its page closed to public editing.

Wikipedia references at the bottom of the page may lead to citable resources.

IRIG: Inter-range instrumentation group timecodes (wikipedia.org)
"Inter-range instrumentation group timecodes, commonly known as IRIG timecode, are standard formats for transferring timing information. Atomic frequency standards and GPS receivers designed for precision timing are often equipped with an IRIG output. The standards were created by the Tele Communications Working Group of the U.S. military's Inter-Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG), the standards body of the Range Commanders Council."
Precision Time Protocol (wikipedia.org/)
"The Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a protocol used to synchronize clocks throughout a computer network. On a local area network, it achieves clock accuracy in the sub-microsecond range, making it suitable for measurement and control systems.[1] PTP is employed to synchronize financial transactions, mobile phone tower transmissions, sub-sea acoustic arrays, and networks that require precise timing but lack access to satellite navigation signals."
Network Time Protocol (wikipedia.org)
"The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a networking protocol for clock synchronization between computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. In operation since before 1985, NTP is one of the oldest Internet protocols in current use. "

Why not cite Wikipedia? Because it is a river of knowledge that never stops moving. The only way to have a reliable snapshot of a Wikipedia topic is to archive it on the Wayback Machine.

Wayback Machine (archive.org)